Trimmer for pottery-making machines



' Sept. 9, 1930. J. M. STRAND TRIIIER FOR POTTERY IAKING MACHINES 2 Shoots-Shoot 1 p J. M; STRAND 1,775,215

' THIIIER FOR POTTERY IAKING [mamas Filed Aug. 27. 1928 2 Sheets-Shut '2 6 E w if F Patented Sept. 9, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN M. STRAND, F MONMOUTH, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN STONEWARE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF MAINE TRIMMER FOR POTTERYMAKING MACHINES Application filed August.27, 1928. Serial No. 302,1 71.

This invention relates to a trimmer for use with pottery making machines.

Molding machines are employed for quantity production of articles of pottery, such as flower pots, and the like, made from clay. The machines in use in the present time include a mold or fixed female die into which the mass ofplastic material is placed and a spinning core or male die movable axially into the mold to form the pot by spinning. Itinevitably happens that a fin is formed on the finished pot caused by clay being expressed between the top of the fixed die and the core. The fins so formed are at the present time trimmed by hand which is an expensive and slow method.

'An object of my invention is to'provide a trimmer for pottery associated with a pottery making machine.

Another object is to provide a trimmer for i pottery making machines associated with the spinning die and effective after the die has formed'a pot and is being removed from the pot for trimming the fin.

A further object of the invention isto provide a trimmer which automatically trims a pot while the spinning die is being removed from the same. I

A further object of the invention is to provide a trimmer which may be readily applied to machines now in use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a trimmer by which the fin is removed by wiping rather than by cutting.

, A still further object of the invention is to provide an automatic trimmer for pottery machines.

A yet further object of the invention is to provide a trimmer for pottery machines which .40 is economical to manufacture, easy to apply and eficient in use.

The above, other and further objects will be apparent from the following description, accompanying drawings and appended claims.

According to the invention, a collar is carried by the spinning die to rotate with the same and is axially movable with respect to the die. A plurality of cylindrical pins are vertically carried by the collar for wiping the fin ofi the pot as the spinning die is released from the molded pot and is being raised from the same. The means securing the pins in the collar serve also as keys for preventing rotation of the collar on the spinning die.

One embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings and the views thereof are as follows:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pottery molding machine provided with a trimmer embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmental plan view of the spinning die and female die, with She trimmer ofmy invention on the spinning Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line III-III of Figure 4.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical section through the spinning die, the female die, the trimmer and a pot formed by said dies.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section on line VV of Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmental view partially in section and partially in plan, showing the manner of wiping the fin from a pot by means of the trimmer of my invention.

Figure '7 is an enlarged fragmental vertical section showing the relation between the fixed die, the spinning die, a finished pot and one of the wiping elements of my trimmer.

The form of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises a molding machine having a frame 1, base 2, an axially movable rotating spindle 3 driven through gears 4 and 5 from a shaft 6 carried in the frame of the machine. The spindle 3 is raised and lowered by means of a lever 7 connected by means of a gear not shown, with a rack 8 on an enlargement 9 of said spindle.

The frame has a platform 10 to which is secured the fixed or female mold 11 by means of bolts not shown, passing through openings 12 in the flange 13 of said mold.

The spindle 8 carries at its lower end a core shaped to provide the finished form to the interior of the pot molded by the machine.

Figure 4 shows a fixed or female mold 11, the core 14 having a head 15 which is operdrawmgs.

atively associated with the spindle so as to be rotated and moved axially with the same.

The core has an end 17 carried on guide pins 18 entering recesses 19 and urged'outwardly by a spring 20 surrounding abolt 21 in the head of the core." This arrangementof the core is provided to release the finished molded pot A from the corewhen the same is moved upwardly out of the pot.

A ball of clay or other plastic material is placed in the fixed or female die 11 when the core 14 is raised therefrom. The machine. is,

then actuated to rotate the spindle 3 and with it the core 14 and is moved downwardly loy manipulation of gradually so as to form the clay into the finished form of the pot A. v I

Suitable air holes 22 are provided in the fixed mold 11 while the surface of the core is provided with grooves 23 for the release of' air between the pot andthe core.

The core carries a ring gin of which is curvedat 2 5 to shape the upper edge of the pot A. w

Clay is expressed between thetop margin of the fixed mold 11 and the ring 24 asthe. pot

is being formed and it isto the removal. of this.

expressed material which otherwise forms" a fin about the pot that my invention is directed.

A collar 26 is arranged about the ring 24-; of the core so as to have limited axial movementwith respect to the c0re.

Radial arms 27 are secured by, machine screws 28 to the core at intervals about the same, three of such] arms being-shown in the The arms 27 carry downwardly projecting studs 29 which enter COIHltQIblO'IG recesses 30 in the collar 26. Springs 31 surround these studs so as to urge the collar 26.

downwardly from the arms 27.

Headless bolts 32 pass horizontally through spaced aperturesBS'in thecollar 26 which bolts carry at the inner ends vertically disposed cylindrical pins 34, which pins are case hardened.

Nuts fasten the bolts33 in with the pins 34: clamped against the inner surface of the collar.

' The ring 24: is provided with vertically disposed recesses 36 in which the endsof the bolts 32 move, thus forming keyways in the core for thebolts and preventing relative rotation between the collar-'26- and the core 14. The lower ends of the recesses 36 are curvedioutwardly as at 37 sons to limit the downward movement of thecollar 26'0n the core 1 1.

When the core 14L is moved-downwardly into the mold 11in which is the ball of clay to r be formed, the lower ends of the, pins 8 rest on the upper margin 38 of the mold 11 and ride thereon as the collar 26 is rotatechwith the spindle 14 being retained thereagainst by thespring-s 31. I r r Due'to the factjthat the fitbetween the lower surface of the ring 24: and the upper the handle 7 being lowered 2 1," the under mar the collar 26 surface 38 0f the mold is a close fit, the-clay expressed therefrom is formed as a thin fin about the upper margin of the pot A, and

some trimming is accomplished before the A has been molded, the lever 7- fixed die 11 and is'held therebywhile the pins 341- on the trimmer wipe" ofi'the fin formed about the margin of the pot. The lengths of the pins. 34 are such and the arrangement of the collar 26 on the core 14 is such that the ends of" thepins remain in. contact with the upper margin 38' of. the fixed mol dll until the core is raised aslight distance out of the:

mold. It is during this time, that is while the core isbei-ng' raised, that the pins 34 wipe off the fin in the manner shown in Figure 6 and Figure 7 'ofthe drawings. A fin trimmed with this trimmer leaves the pot with a smooth, clean margin; i

The recess25. formed in the lowerm'argin of thering 2tlis concave to produce a convex margin on the pot A. Howeventhe shape of this recess. may be other than concaveto'previde any desirable margin wanted.

While I. have described more or less precisely the details ofconstruction of my inven tion yet-I do not wishto be understood as limiting myself thereto as I anrawarefthat changes may be mad'e in the arrangement and proportion of parts and'that equivalents may be substituted", all without departingfrom the spirit and scope of my invention. ll claim as my invention: r 1. A pottery making machi-ne'comprising a fixed mold, a rotatable core, an axially movable collar on said core, and aplurality of vertically arranged cylindrical pins sup-. collar for trimming excess ported said mate-m1- expressed between said mold and said core.

2.. A pottery making machine comprising a fixed mold, a rotatable core, an axially movable collar" on said core, and a plurality of vertically arranged cylindrical pins supported by said collar for trimming excess material expressed between said mold and said core yand means for maintaining said pins in position for trimming said excess material after the core is released from the molded pot.' I

3. A pottery making machine comprising a fixed mold, a rotatable core, an axially movable collar on said core, a plurality of vertically arranged cylmdricalpins supported by at f LII

said collar for trimming excess material ex pressed between said mold and said core, and

leans for removably supporting said pins in said collar, said means also cooperating with said core to prevent relative rotation of said collar with respect to the core.

4. A pottery molding machine having a spinning core and a fixed mold, a trimmer for removing the fin formed on a pot on said machine in molding, said trimmer comprising a collar on the core axially movable with respect to the same, a plurality of cylindrical pins carried by said collar, springs for urging said collar toward the end of said core, said pins resting on said mold when said core is in forming position and maintained thereagainst by said springs as said core is released from the formed pot for trimming the fin on said pot as said core is being removed from the pot.

5. A pottery molding machine comprising a rotatable core and a non-rotatable mold,a trimmer carried by said core, said trimmer comprising a collar axially movable on said core, a plurality of vertically disposed pins carried by said collar arranged to rest on said mold when saidcore is in forming position, and yieldable means for maintaining said pins against said mold after the core has been released from the molded pot'to trim oii the fin formed on said pot by the molding operation.

6. A pottery molding machine comprising a rotatable core and a non-rotatable mold, a trimmer carried by said core, said trimmer comprising a collar axially movable on said core, a plurality of vertically disposed pins carried by said collar arranged to rest on said mold when said core is in forming position, and yieldable means for maintaining said pins against said mold after the core has been released from the molded pot to trim off the fin formed on said pot by the molding operation, said collar having a plurality of radially arranged headless bolts, said pins being carried in the heads of said bolts against the inside of said collar, means for movably securing said bolts in said collar, said core having a plurality of longitudinal grooves for receiving the inner ends of said bolts to prevent rotation of said collar on said core, arms secured to said core and hav ing studs projecting into said collar, said yieldable means being associated with said studs for urging the collar towards the end of the core.

7 A pottery molding machine having a rotatable core and a fixed-mold, a trimmer on said core, said trimmer comprising a collar rotatable with said core and movable axially with respect to the same, a vertical pin in said collar disposed to rest on the upper margin of the fixed mold when said core is in forming position, and means cooperating with said collar and said core to maintain said pin against said fixed mold while said core is being raised from said mold whereby said pin removes the fin formed on a pot by the molding operation after said core is released from the pot.

8. A pottery molding machine having a spinning core and a fixed mold for forming pots, a collar axially movably associated with said core, and a trimmer including a vertically disposed rod carried by said collar for trimming the fin from a pot after said core has been released from the formedp 9. A pottery molding machine having a spinning core and a fixed mold for forming pots, a collar axially movably associated with said core, and a trimmer carried by said collar for trimming the fin from a pot after said core has been released from the formed pot, said trimmer comprising a plurality of vertically disposed pins mounted on said core in a manner to move axially with respect to the same, together with means for maintaining said pins in trimming position as said core is released from a pot.

10. A pottery forming machine including two relatively movable pot forming members, a collar supported on one of said members and axially movable with respect to the same, and a pin carried by said collar for trimming purposes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Monmouth, Warren County, Illinois.

JOHN M. STRAND. 

